Jammu, Apr 16 Hailing the statements of army chiefs of India and Pakistan, senior CPI(M) leader and MLA M Y Tarigami today said the leadership of both the countries need to show courage and initiate the dialogue process to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir.

“It is high time that the political leadership of the two countries (India and Pakistan) engage in a meaningful, sustained and time-bound dialogue process War and violence is not an option but can only result in massive devastation and destruction,” he said in a statement here.

Backing dialogue with India, Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had on Saturday said, “It is our sincere belief that the route to peaceful resolution of Pak-India disputes — including the core issue of Kashmir — runs through comprehensive and meaningful dialogue. While such dialogue is no favour to any party, it remains the inevitable precursor to peace across the region.

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat yesterday said the radicalised youth of the Valley would soon realise that the gun was not the solution to their problems as neither security forces nor terrorists would achieve their goals through it.

Peace, he said, was the only way to improve the situation in Kashmir that had been witnessing militancy for about three decades now.

Tarigami said only time will tell how sincere the political leadership in both the countries was to backup the suggestion of their military commanders.

“The suggestions of the two chiefs that dialogue was the way forward needs political backup and the coming time will tell how serious political leadership in both the countries will initiate the process of credible dialogue,” he said.